Automatic curtain roller



E. A. STROMBERG AND K. E. EOBERG.

AUTOMATIC CURTAIN ROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. H. 1921 Emma Dec. 5, D22,

E. A. STROMBERG AND K. E. BOBERG.

AUTOMATIC CURTAIN ROLLER.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 11. I92].

1L,4l -8"i %79, Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' roller which is adapted to be employed to Patented Dec. 5, i922.

UNETEID) STATES MBMW PATENT @FFHQE.

AUTOMATIC CURTAIN ROLLER.

Application filed February 11, 1921. Serial No. 444,108.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EMIL A. STRoMBERo and KNUTE E. BoBERG, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of the city of Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in an Automatic Curtain Roller; and we do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals ofref erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an automatic curtain roller and particularlyto a curtain roll the storm curtains of Vehicles automatically thereonand to be folded out of the'way with the curtains thereon when the sameare not in use. Difficulties have heretofore been experienced in thestoring of the storm curtains for the reason that if the same wereplaced under the seat of the vehicle they became cess thereto becamedifiicult and often caused annoyance to the passengers in the vehicle.

The fact that it is necessary in such cases to fold the curtains hasalso proven objectionable, on account of the time required to properlyfold the curtains and also on account of the fact that the same becamequickly worn on the lines along which they are folded.

It is an object, therefore, of the present.

invention to provide means upon which. vehicle curtains may be rolledwhen not in use, said means being adapted to be secured in the top ofthe vehicle out of the way of the occupants thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide automatic springactuated curtain rollers adapted to receive the vehicle storm curtainsrolled thereon.

It is also an object of this invention to provide pivotally mountedautomatic spring actuated curtain rollers adapted to receive vehiclecurtains rolled thereon and to be swung and locked out of operativeposition when the curtains are not in use.

It is an important object of this invention to adapted to have vehiclecurtains detachably secured thereto and adapted to be rolled quicklyworn out and ac- I provide a swingingly mounted means thereon and to beswung and locked out of operative position.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings;

The invention (in a preferred form) is shown on the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

'On the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a motor vehicle equipped with theimproved curtain rollers of this invention.

Figure 2 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary section on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the curtain roller.

Figure 4. is a vertical longitudinal section of the curtain rollershowing the swinging connection therefor.

Figure 5 is an end elevation showing thecurtain roller with the stormcurtains rolled thereon. v

Figurev 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 6-6 of Figure4.

Figure 7 is a slightly enlarged section showing the curtain roller pawland ratchet mechanism in elevation.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 8-8 of Figure 7Figure 9 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary section on the line 9-9 ofFigure 4mg5 s shown on the drawings:

The device of this invention is adapted to be secured inside the top 1of a motor vehicle 2 and is adapted to have rolled thereon stormcurtains 3, which are secured to said top 1 and to the body of saidvehicle 2 b means of snap buttons in a usual and wel -known manner. Saiddevices comprise a roller 4, which is preferably constructed of metaland which 1s provided with an axial 8. Surrounding the rod 5 and havingan end secured thereto adjacent the plate 7 is a coil spring 10, whichhas its other end secured to the inner face of the plate 6 by means ofstaples 11, as clearly shown in Figure 9. It is thus apparent that theroller 4 is provided with an automatic spring actuating constructionwhereby the same will be automatically rotated by the coil spring 10 towind articles thereon upon the release ofthe gravity in the plate 7.

This automatic rotation of the spring actuated roller 4 is utilized inthe present invention to roll the storm curtains 3 thereon and in orderthat they may be conveniently and safely stored in an accessibleposition and not interfere with the occupants of the vehicle. For thepurpose of attaching the curtains to the roller a plurality of snapfasteners 12 are provided and said snap fasteners are adapted to beengaged through apertures in the storm curtains which are ordinarilyused in securing said curtains to the vehicle top. In order that therollers 4 may be moved into a position where they will not interferewith the occupants of the vehicle, the same are pivotally mounted in thetop thereof on plates 13 which are secured to the side portions of saidtop and on which are hinged brackets 14, having downwardly openingmembers 15 thereon and cylindrical transverse passages 16 therein, abovesaid members and of greater diameter than the distance'between the same.Engaged between said members 15 is a flattened portion 17 of the outerend of the rod 5, while a ball 18 on the end of said flattened portionis engaged in the cylindrical passage or recess 16. Pins or bolts 19engaged through the portions 15 of the brackets 14 act to secure theflattened portion 17 of the rod 5 therein, and in order that the samemay be conveniently removed from the bracket by the removal of one ofsaid pins, the same are preferably provided with knurled heads 20whereby they may be readily removed.

The connection just described makes possible the folding of the rollers4 upwardly into the inside of the vehicle top 1 when the same are not inuse, and in order that they may be secured in position in said top,brackets 21 are secured to the inner side of the central portion thereofand are adapted to receive the ends of the rods 5, which projectoutwardly beyond the plate 6 and thus support the same and the rollers 4with the storm curtains 3 rolled thereon in position adjacent the insideof the top 1 of the vehicle. In order that said rollers 4 may be held inconvenient position while the storm curtains 3 are being taken off orput on, brackets 22 may be provided if desired on the vehicle body, asshown in Figure 2,

and said brackets 22 are adapted to be enpawl 9 from the grooves gagedby the end of the rod 5, which has been released from the bracket 21 tohold the rollers 4 in vertical position. This latter arrangement isshown in the lower right handcorner of Figure 2.

The operation is as follows:

When it is desired to remove the curtains 3 from the vehicle the rollers4 are lowered into the position shown in Figure 2 and the endsof thecurtains are unfastened from the side of the vehicle top 1 and aresecured in position on the snap fasteners 12. The remainder of the snapfasteners securing the storm curtains to the vehicle top and to the bodyof the vehicle are disengaged and by subsequently pulling slightly onsaid ourtains the gravity latch 9 is dislocated from its position in thegrooves 8, and the spring 10 actuates the rollers 4 to wind the curtains3 thereon.

After the curtains are wound on the roller, said roller is moved into aposition where it will not be in the way of the passengers in thevehicle and the end thereof is secured in the bracket 21 in the insideof the top of the vehicle. The reverse of this process is repeated whenit is desired to attach the curtains to the top and the vehicle body,and-in cases where the vehicle .is provided with the brackets 22 it ispossible to fix the'curtains entirely in position before removing theends of the same from the snap fasteners 12 on the roller 4. Of course,when the curtains have been removed from the rollers and are placed inposition on the vehicle, the rollers are again returned to theirposition inside the top 1 where they are supported by the brackets 21.

' It is apparent from the foregoing description that this inventionprovides a convenient means for the storing of vehicle storm curtainswhen the same are not in use, and also afiords means whereby they arereadily accessible for use and whereby they may be quickly and easilysecured in position on the vehicle when needed. Due to the fact that thecurtains are rolled, there is little likelihood'of deterioration of thesame due to creases, as is the case where the curtains are folded.

We are aware that numerous details of each fastener being located on theautomobile and the cooperating part being on a curtain, rollers, one foreach curtain, each roller having thereon a set of parts of fastenerslike the parts on the automobile and suitably smva located along theroller to cooperate with the parts of fasteners on the curtain, andmeans for securing said rollers in position to support the curtain Whileit is being fastened in place on the automobile.

v 2. In combination, an automobile, curtains therefor, separablefasteners each com posed of two cooperating parts, one part of eachfastener being located on the automobile and the cooperating part beingon a curtain, rollers, one for each curtain, each roller having thereona set of parts of fasteners like the parts on the automobile andsuitably located along the roller to cooperate with the parts offasteners on the curtain, pivotal means for securing one end of each ofsaid rollers, means to removably secure the'free ends of the rollers tothe pivotal means for securing said rollers in a position away from saidfirst-named position when desired.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses. EMIL A. STROMBERG.

KNUTE E.- BOBERG. Witnesses:

CARLTON HILL, JAMES M. OBRIEN.

